This year, Google was generous and gave us two Nexus devices to gawk over: the high-end Nexus 6P by Huawei and the more mid-range Nexus 5X by LG. We’ve decided to take a look at the fancier of the two — after all, the “P” in “6P” does stand for premium.

Look and Feel

This is a gorgeous phone — depending upon how you feel about that black bar along the top of the back. I think it’s a really nice aesthetic, and I love the huge landscape-oriented Nexus logo. The edges are chamfered in a nice (if iPhone-like) style, and the whole thing is made of a very solid metal.

So those pretty looks and large screen come at a price — gripability. I also pressed the volume buttons a few too many times on accident as I was trying to shuffle this monster around in my hand. The power and volume buttons are low enough to make them easily pressable, but they’re also right where you need to put pressure to be able to keep this thing from falling.

To some, “large metal phone” is going to be a bit off-putting, but for others, it’s the premium device they’ve always wanted. It really comes down to personal preference here. Personally, I’m not sure if I would want to use this phone longterm without a case.

Screen

The enormous 5.7″ screen on the 6P is an AMOLEDCommon Mobile Display Technologies You Should KnowCommon Mobile Display Technologies You Should KnowWhen you're comparing different mobile devices, whether they're phones, tablets, e-readers, or laptops, one of the differentiating features can be the display technology. But do you know the differences?Read More display, which means it has good contrast and is able to selectively turn on pixels — this allows for the Ambient Display feature, which can show you the time and your notifications in black and white when you pick up the device or get a new notification. I didn’t find Ambient Display to be particularly useful — I prefer the built-in LED for letting me know about notifications — but for some, it’s a nice way to save battery by turning the screen on less.

In general, the screen isn’t the brightest I’ve ever seen. You could have some issues viewing it in direct sunlight, but other than that, it’s hard to beat that WQHD quality. You definitely won’t spot any pixels here.

Speakers

If I could only choose one feature to talk about in this review, it would be the speakers. They are fantastic. Dual front-facing speakers really need to become standard in the smartphone industry. At full volume, this phone easily fills a room with music.

And honestly, it’s great. It takes photos super quickly, they come out nice and clear, and the interface is lovely.

Fingerprint Scanner

Alright, so here’s the big notable change we can all talk about and debate the merits of. For me, I found the fingerprint scanner to be a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, it’s super fast and convenient when you’re holding the phone. The sensor is located on the back of the device right where your index finger would naturally fall, and you can unlock the screen instantly by just lightly touching it. Seriously. It’s so fast. You don’t even have to wake the phone first!

But, the other side of that coin is that if your phone is resting on a table, there’s no good way to wake it up. You have to pick up the phone to use the fingerprint scanner, and there’s no double-tap to wake, so you have to feel around for the power button and then type in your backup PIN.

I want to love the fingerprint scanner. It’s brilliant when you’re holding the 6P, but leave it sitting on your table, and it’s going to become a good deal more annoying to wake up.

Software

Ah, now this is really why you’re buying a Nexus device, right? The 6P runs pure, stock Android, which means that you’re getting Android exactly as Google imagined it. On top of that, you get updates immediately and don’t have to wait for manufacturers and carriers to work through their bureaucracy.

But in general, it’s the Android you know and (hopefully) love. You won’t find all the bloatware of a Samsung device here, and if you buy unlocked from Google or Amazon, you won’t have any carrier bloatware either. It feels like a clean, smooth experience in the software department.

Plus, rooting could not be easier since it’s a Nexus. If you’re a fan of rooting your device and customizing it with custom ROMs, this is the phone for you without a doubt.

Performance

Given the powerful Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM that are in this beast, you shouldn’t expect to encounter apps that lag or stutter. I managed to multitask, watch videos, and play games without any trouble.

Many were worried about the Snapdragon 810 having overheating issues, and while it certainly got warm after prolonged periods of usage, I wouldn’t say that it was worse than other phones.

Battery Life

Powered by a 3450mAh battery, the Nexus 6P definitely isn’t lacking in juice. It does have to power a huge screen, though, so your screen on time might not end up being the best of any smartphone — but it’s definitely not bad. Its standby when not using the screen is great, probably thanks in part to Marshmallow’s new Doze feature that puts your apps to sleep while the screen is off.

But really, I made it through my days without a problem using the Nexus 6P. I’d say it has above average battery life, but the best part about the it is the fast-charging that is available thanks to the new USB Type-CWhat Is USB Type-C?What Is USB Type-C?Ah, the USB plug. It is as ubiquitous now as it is notorious for never being able to be plugged in right the first time.Read More.

Sure, your old microUSB cables aren’t going to work with the Nexus 6P, but that’s only because this phone is the future. The world is moving towards USB Type-C to replace microUSB and regular USB ports — and that’s fantastic because it’s a small universal port and it’s reversible. No more putting in your cable the wrong way.

Still, the 6P doesn’t support wireless charging. That’s a bummer, but the USB Type-C charging is much faster anyway.

Price

The model that I tested was the 64GB Frost, but it comes in three different colors, three different storage options, and three different price ranges.

For what you’re getting, it’s not a bad deal. This is clearly a high-end smartphone, and it’s priced pretty fairly for that.

Should You Buy It?

The Nexus 6P is a mammoth of a phone, but we live in a world of phablets now. Its fingerprint scanner has its advantages, but what I really love about this phone is the speakers — and that enormous screen certainly isn’t a downside either. I just wish the phone was less slippery.

Our verdict of the Google Nexus 6P:I would say that if you’re in the market for a phablet, this is definitely one to consider. If you like that fingerprint scanner and have a need for powerful speakers, it’d be worth picking this over the Galaxy Note 5. However, if you’d prefer a smaller phone that’s easier to get your hand around, there are smaller and cheaper options out there.710

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Our budget this year with us having a baby back in April of 15 means me and my wife are sooo behind on phones (she's still using 1st Gen Moto X). Hopefully, we can get an Internet miracle and upgrade to a Nexus 6P. Thanks for the giveaway and good luck to all.

I've already gotten this phone (but would love to gift it!). A few things I would comment on this review:

1. The battery will get you to 2 days
2. It is really really fast
3. It is on sale from Google (or at least was) $50 off
4. I got a fairly thick (compared to the size of the phone) rubber case from Spigen - this seems to make a big difference. It wasn't that the case was slippery - it was that the phone was TOO thin. I wish they had added another mm or two, and added another 500 Mah of battery life
5. After using htc (rezound) and Samsung (GS4), there were some things that I missed from these carriers, but I definitely don't miss the bloatware. Can you hear me now, Verizon?

One thing that this review misses is that you can also sign up for Google Fi with this phone. I got Fi and ditched Verizon - will cut my bill in half, and will work in most countries.

yeah man, it's expensive, slippery, and not very intuitive to turn on/off if it's resting on a table. it's not a bad phone by any means, just not the absolute best out there (in my opinion, of course).

I actually owned a Nexus 6P for 2 days before I lost it. I did like the camera but didn't appreciate the way all of my personal information transferred from my Samsung Galaxy 4S. I spent hours trying to find my photos and contacts. Since the Galaxy 4S runs on a version of Android I wish that there was a cleaner way to transfer my data from one phone to the other. Come on Google get with the program! I also found it interesting that even if I use another email provider, Outlook from work that it forces all emails into a Google email account. A bit too proprietary for comfort. I prefer options, not one size fits all. Why is it that these sorts of things are seemingly never reviewed?

i think we just have very different experiences with the services we sync. I personally only use Gmail for me email, so that wasn't an issue for me. likewise, all of my contacts and photos easily transferred from my daily driver to this device because i backup everything through Google Contacts and Google Drive. i guess we're just very different users, and it might just be that most reviewers are in a situation more like me. sorry, but we can only review from our personal experience!

Props to Google and Huawei to making this phone. Been with the same iPhone 3G ever since it came out, and been a hermit. Now is a good time to change to this phone. Review caught my eye and loved the way he gave it. Loved the article too - very descriptive.
Happy holidays!

Man, talk about a hot phone! A really nice review too! I wanna tell "andrepamendes" that the giveaways are FOR REAL!!! And I hope that I'm the lucky one this time around! I wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year!!!